12 Days of Christmas
by purplerose69
Summary: Kohei & his friends are in their sixth year, enjoying their Winter Break amongst the Christmas Festivities on the Island. When Iori & Togi suddenly return from their trip off the island, Iori is prepared to intervene just enough to get the ball rolling with Kohei & Erika's relationship. The problem is what if the ball starts to roll too fast & blood lust and love start to blur?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Dense as Always**

"I can't believe it's already Christmas break." Kanade said looking up at the snow flakes falling onto them.

"It came quick." Heiji nodded as they walked the downtown-shopping district.

"That's scary." Shiro said quietly. "What am I going to do when you guys are gone?"

Kohei looked at Shiro sympathetically. She'd had a hard time adjusting this year after Togi left with Iori. Why the two had left to do he wasn't sure. Quite frankly he assumed Iori would be back at the academy when enough years passed, judging by the past school year books he seemed to return again and again. What a strange thing it had to be…not to age.

"Don't worry we'll all come back to visit. We're like family here." Erika smiled to Shiro.

"We should make sure to come back every year." Haruna said. "I don't want to forget anything about this place."

"I agree. I don't mind returning here. This island has been a great home." Kohei hadn't thought about leaving. He had no idea what he was going to do when he finished his sixth year. He hadn't talked to it about Erika either.

"In that case we'll just have to come back every year too! Surely the school would miss me too!"

The group stopped in their tracks. The turned around slowly to see Iori and Togi standing behind them, Iori with one of those typical overtly charming smiles of his, and Togi with his stone-neutral look barely different from before.

"Brother your back?" Erika looked wide-eyed.

"Yes, unfortunately Mother's leniency to let me travel off the island for more than a month wasn't even extended to more than three…" Iori shrugged.

"But you were gone for almost three months?" Erika questioned him.

"I said _more _that three. She couldn't do much about it other then send Kiriha after me, but even she can't deny my charm. " He smiled cheekily. "Mother thought I might find a dependent…but she gave up on me years ago. I'm not the child who wouldn't drink blood for nearly 17 years of her life."

Erika scowled at him. He just gleamed back. "Speaking of blood…how have you been Kohei? My sister suck you dry yet?" He leaned on Kohei's shoulder into his ear. Kohei's face went red. Everyone else's face dropped.

Erika pulled her brother away from him. "Not funny."

"Are you back now too Nii-sama!" Shiro's eyes lit up.

"For now." Togi nodded looking to Iori.

"Don't worry, we'll stay here for a good long bit. Traveling is only worth it every once in a while, a good taste a wider selection of culture." Iori shrugged. "So how are you handling the pressure of living up to my legacy as President Erika?"

Kohei noticed his wording. Sometimes Iori was charming…other times he took on the role of vampire too well. He turned to Erika who looked put off by Iori.

"Erika is the best! She and Kohei's events have been awesome!" Kanade said eagerly.

"Speaking of which, Kohei how are the pressures of Vice President…to be honest you are basically Erika's Dependent the way she probably pushes you around as VP if she's anything like me?"

"No actually Erika and I work pretty equally." Kohei said choosing to ignore his dig.

"Oh that's too bad. But I'm sure the school is not the same without me. I can't imagine how many people miss me…surely there are many male students that now have chance will all the girls now that I'm gone…" Iori said making a scene. Togi looked darkly towards Kohei and Shiro.

Kanade, Shiro and Haruna looked down, avoiding their gaze. Heiji sighed. Erika looked towards Kohei and they both blushed.

"My dear you poor things, its your sixth year, and last for most and this is all you have to say? It should be a year of making memories of the utmost importance! Almost adults now aren't you all? Time for relationships… making mistakes… breaking rules…having some good old fashioned fun…" Iori looked over them, still grinning suggestively as always. His gaze landed on Kohei.

"What is that look for?" Kohei swallowed.

" As dense as always." Iori sighed. "Anyway I'm off to find something or someone to amuse myself for the Christmas season. Don't worry, Togi and I will come visit Shuchikan Akadamy very soon." They turned to leave and walked off in the snow dusted streets.

"That was sudden…" Kohei said put off a bit. Was he that dense?

"He's always like that. How he managed to get my mom to let him off the island for over a month…let alone three is beyond me…" Erika sighed.

"I hope Nii-sama comes to visit soon." Shiro said rosy cheeked.

"I thought Togi-sempai would have stayed back, I didn't know he was going to follow Iori after graduation." Kanade said.

"It's nice though that they are good friends like that." Haruna added.

"You know, do you think what he was saying was true?" Heiji said.

"About what?" Kohei asked.

"About well living our last year to the fullest…relationships and stuff." Heiji asked.

"I didn't know you had someone you liked Heiji!" Kanade jumped up.

"I-I don't. I just-" Heiji stepped back. The girls leaned in.

"I don't know I think maybe there was some truth…I don't know about dating all the girls at school part but-" Kohei sighed.

"Maybe we should get boyfriends..." Haruna speculated.

The boys looked surprised. Haruna was normally the quiet one.

"Are you kidding any boy would have to go through me to get to you Hina-chan!" Kanade looked at the two.

Kohei backed off. "It's okay, Haruna and I aren't like that. Same with you, right Toiji?"

"Uh-yea." Toiji grabbed the back of his neck and looked away.

"Don't worry. Why don't we all have a tea party tonight, warm up from the cold?" Haruna smiled.

"I like that idea!" Kanade smiled.

"I'll go back now then to prepare it! Maybe I'll make some snacks too." Haruna nodded.

"If you need any help I'll come." Toiji added.

"Me too! I love your Christmas cookies Hina-chan!" Kanade smiled following the two.

"Should we head back too?" Kohei looked to Erika.

"In a minute." Erika watched them head off. "Kohei… I just want you to know, now that my brother is back you shouldn't really listen to what he says. Last time he was around –"

"No, don't worry about it. He had some valid points. I guess I can be a little dense…"

"About what?"

"Well…relationships and stuff I guess." Kohei moved his gaze to the left blushing slightly.

"Well don't worry about it. And I don't want you to think that I'm trying to dominate you as VP…" Erika said.

"Oh, no, no. I don't. Plus I said if you needed my blood you could have it. You've been taking me up on that throughout most of these last 6 months so-"

"Right. Then we're all good right?" Erika looked to him, blushing a little, realizing she may have been pushy with the blood.

"Yea…Erika what are you doing after we graduate?"

"Me? Well I don't know. I want to live a normal life, but I don't know if I could leave this island. I think I'd be too worried I'd end up succumbing or something…."

"Succumbing?"

Erika sighed. "I would get a Dependent…on accident or something. Or become a monster if I couldn't control it. At least here I've created an identity. My biggest fear is to fall into my mothers expectations. What about you?"

"Im not sure yet. Well…I mean if you need me to stay I would."

"Stay?"

"Stay here, on the Island. My father is still working in Japan. Soon I'll be able to make my own decisions anyway… get a job. If you needed me to stay I could I guess."

"But I don't want to prevent you from having your own life."

"I didn't have a life really until I got here. You guys are the only people I've really connected with." Kohei looked up as a snowflake fell on his nose. Erika watched him look to the sky, his green scarf potent against his black hair.

"Well I won't force you."

"I know you wouldn't." Kohei looked at her. "Which is also why I wanted to ask you something…" He blushed a little.

"What?" Erika got closer to him, and looked straight at him.

"Well… I mean ever since the cabin… maybe it's just me…but …or maybe it's because your brother said something but I was thinking, since he doesn't seem to care…maybe we could-"

" Just say it Kohei." Erika raised her brow.

"Would you go out with me?" His head sunk as he said it.

"Oh." Erika's face turned pinkish.

"You don't have to …I just thought…maybe it was me. It kind of is strange with the-"

"No. I want to."

Kohei looked up to meet Erika's blue eyes.

"You sure?"

She nodded and then suddenly kissed him. He stepped back eyes wide, but then reciprocated it.

"Sure enough for you?" Erika said lightly.

"I think so. Haha..." He laughed nervously.

"Lets go back now." Erika looked off in the direction that their friends went.

Kohei nodded, just as Erika grabbed his hand and led him forward into the snowy town.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Just for Now, Or For Always**

"What took you guys so long?" Kanade asked.

"You know it did take you quite a bit longer to catch up..." HEiji added.

"I hope the tea isn't cold now…" Haruna looked at their cups.

"I'm sorry! It was my fault." Kohei apologized.

"No, it was my fault. I told him to wait back with me." Erika shook her head.

"So it was just the two of you?" Kanade asked leaning forward.

"Well actually Kohei asked me out that's why..." Erika said rather openly.

Kohei nearly choked on his tea.

"Good job Kohei." Eiji patted him on his back, helping him to stop choking.

"So you won the rivalry! Good job Sendo-san!" Kanade put her hands on her hips happily.

"You two make a great couple." Haruna poured Kohei more tea.

"I guess you really took Iori's advice to heart." Heiji leaned back.

"Hey! That wasn't why you asked was it!?" Erika accused.

"No, no of course not. Do you think that?"

"Well no…but my brother can be sly that way…" Erika sighed. "Sorry."

"It's okay. By the way Haruna-chan, your cookies are really good." Kohei added.

"Thanks, I'm thinking about getting into the idea of owning my own tea shop or café one day." She smiled.

"I bet it would be a huge hit." Heiji nodded.

"You think so?" Haruna blushed.

"I don't see why not." He took a sip of his tea.

"She's going to be such a good bride one day!" Kanade gleamed.

"Stop it." Haruna blushed harder.

"I hope Rii-sama comes soon to visit. I missed him on his trip." Shiro looked at her tea.

"I'm sure he will. As a matter of fact, I know that if my brother has anything to do with it, he'll be back here visiting all too soon." Erika reassured her.

"You and your brother have a really strong relationship don't you Shiro-chan?" Kohei asked.

"We've always been close. He looks out for me, we have to be, because as a family looking after the Sendo family, if we're not we'd surely only hurt ourselves or Iori or Erika."

"I'm jealous." Erika sighed.

"Iori does look out for you though." Shiro added.

"Well not in ways I want him to."

"Like how?" Kanade asked.

"Like how he made Kohei join the student council all so I could make him my – or- how he is so devious and can't pick a side between me and my mother or- or-"

"You didn't want me on student council?" Kuhei asked.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm missing a whole lot." Heiji sighed.

"No, that's not what I meant but-he's just always got ulterior motives..."

"But if he hadn't done that Sendo-san, you and Kohei might not be dating! And you might not have been able to stand up against your mother!" Shiro said suddenly, before grabbing her hands to her lips. "…I'm sorry. I'll sit down."

"It's okay Shiro-chan. I understand what you're trying to say." Erika reassured her.

"It's just Nii-sama would stop me from out bursting before…he always knew when to –"

"But she was right. Iori did instigate some of that stuff…more or less...even though he can be pretty annoying with those pranks.." Kohei tried to step in.

"And I'm not worried about my brother. It's our year anyway."

"Speaking of its "our year" how about we make this Christmas super fun!" Kanade jumped up on the table.

"How?" Shiro said still looking a little glum.

"I suggest a Secret Santa!" She proclaimed.

"That was a lot less hostile then the kind of thing I was expecting…" Kohei breathed out.

"Good. Now that we're all in favor the next time we have a tea party we'll draw names. Luckily there are six of us, so nobody will be left out!" She proclaimed loudly. "And on Christmas Eve we'll have a party!"

"Where?" Haruna asked.

"Here of course!"

"Why is it always my room?" Kohei sighed.

"Christmas gets me so excited! This will be our first Christmas with all of us together." Haruna smiled.

"We should go out sometime to decorate this place, and make it more Christmas-y…it barely has anything in it still-" Kanade looked around.

"Sorry I still don't have a lot of belongings…" Kohei muttered.

"That's okay why don't we make jobs for the Christmas party!"

"I'll do the food! And I'll make popcorn strings for the tree." Haruna said.

"I'll go shopping for decorations! And a tree!" Kanade put her thumb up.

"I'll see if I can get a c.d. player from the schools room, and get Christmas to play." Shiro said. "Maybe brother will have some ideas."

"It's my room being over taken...so I by default shouldn't have to do as much..." Kehai added.

"I guess I'll help who ever really needs it. I don't know-" Eiji shrugged.

"You could help me string the popcorn Eiji-kun? I probably will have my hands full with most of the cooking…especially if we want dinner and desert. It is Christmas." Haruna asked.

"If you need my help sure." Eiji nodded to Haruna.

"I'm pretty sure I will…are you okay with that Onee-chan?" Haruna asked delicately.

Kanade looked from Haruna to Heiji and back. "Hmmm…."

"Yea why not! Plus we like Iori-sempai said we should be spending more time with all the available guys in our last year!" Kanade proclaimed.

Haruna and Heiji looked wide eyed and blushed.

"I don't think that's how he meant it Kanade-chan…" Kohei looked skeptically at her.

"Oh well. I have lots of shopping and you have lots of cooking to do Hina-chan! We should get a good nights rest!"

"It's true. We should be heading off now. I'm sure you wouldn't mind it Kohei." Heigi got up too.

"I'm used to it." Kohei admitted. "See you tomorrow guys."

"I should get going too. Especially now that Kiri-kiri is back."

"What do you mean?" Kohei looked to Erika, infront of his window.

"I get the suspicion she'll be around. My mother is probably still waiting for me to-"

"You should try not to focus on your mother's expectations so much. You wanted to live your own life right?"

Erika sighed. "Your right Hasekura-kun. Thanks." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Ah-Uhm Erika, I don't know exactly how things might change between us, now that we're dating. We've been close for a while now… to be honest you're the first girl I've kissed and-"

"Same here…" Erika said. "Ive been around as long as you have… you've been a first for everything. Normally…normally I don't date because…well one day –"

"What?" Kohei looked wide eyed.

"Well you must know that one day-one day- you'll get older and I'll just-"

"Don't worry about that right now. I told you I'd support you no matter what. Anyway if you want, I was thinking as VP and President, we should come up with a nice event for the Christmas Party…something to celebrate…"

"Make memories. I like it." Erika nodded.

"You know, you never asked me today to-"

"I didn't want to spoil the mood. I don't see how the others would want to see me-"

"Right, so do you need to?" Kohei asked.

"I …I should…" Erika said. Kohei took her shoulders and cocked his neck over.

"Kohei, thank you." Erika leaned up and kissed Kohei instead of biting his neck. He straightened his head, surprised, but then took his grip on her arms tighter and hugged her closer.

"Mmm!" Erika was surprised. She found her self after a moment or two with the taste of blood in her mouth.

"You know, I don't mind any of this." Kohei said after a flinch of the feeling of her teeth in his neck.

She stopped and breathed calmly. Her eyes turning back to blue. "I know. I don't have the words to say how much I appreciate it Ko-chan. Goodnight."

She walked away from him with the taste of blood on her lips. She'd always be taking something away from him every time she walked away wouldn't she?

She looked up at the night sky. She didn't want to go to bed just yet. She'd said yes to dating Kohei today and she didn't even think to make the conscious decision that she normally would make; recognizing it wasn't fair for them. For anyone to date her.

"So, eventful night my sister? You know they have blinds on windows for a reason…"

Erika turned to see her brother. "YOU WERE PEEPING?"

"I just happened to see into Kohei's bedroom because he is only on the second floor…and you kept the lights on...its quite dark out you know..."

"What do you want?" Erika sighed.

"Just to visit. Honestly I wanted to warn you of something…"

"What? Did you have a new trick you found to play after leaving the island?"

"No, well maybe, but that's not for you to know." He smiled. "Well its...actually, Kiriha told me that mother is still very much convinced that your going to-"

"I know, make Kohei my dependent. You were the one that told him to date me…you basically spelled out relationship lectures today-"

"No, I am neutral. I just thought as your big brother with a good 200 years of experience, you have to make a big decision. I already know Kohei is good for you Erika…but you have to be a little selfish with this decision. Living a normal life for you won't be completely "normal" because you know your-"

"I know I wont die when he does. I'm still not going to-"

"I know you are a stubborn little sister. He treats you well and I can see he's not just a blood slave to you…he's possibly your boyfriend now?" Iori leaned closer to his sister, fishing for the words.

"Yes." She sighed, annoyed by his giddiness.

"Then you need to prepare for the day…the day he outgrows you." He grew more somber.

"You sound like mother."

Iori smirked and looked off to the night sky. His cheerful façade never truly faultered. "I'm just saying, I know I did a lot to get you you two together, but the part about us vampires is we are most attracted to the one we love most. You must have realized I only knew you'd fallen for him because I knew the feeling myself. I made that mistake in the past; and the moment she left this world I regreted it. I wanted to take her back and make her mine for the same eternity I would live for. It also felt selfish, but I started to wonder, if I would be a different person. I've seen people , people that looked like her… but …"

"I – I didn't know…" Erika looked at her brother, for once in a different light.

"All I'm saying, is he might stay with you for his lifetime, but are you willing to live a hundred more lifetimes without him? He is your boyfriend…I'm sure you could find ways into _persuading_ him." Iori winked at his sister.

"How can you say those things? Aren't you not supposed to be my protective older brother?"

"Unfortunately you got me instead of Sei for your brother…" Iori winked. "Plus, the amount of adventures I've had have far extended beyond yours, I'd say if you were going to start to get adventurous …well here would be the right place to do it."

"And this was all you had to tell me?"

"Well-" Iori paused. "For now yes. I might need to speak to you closer to Christmas, when I know more for sure…. but for now I'll just have to make sure that Kohei doesn't become to dense again."

"Stop MEDDLING!" Erika turned away and crossed her arms.

"See ya sis." Iori left the Academy grounds. His sister didn't need to know yet about his suspicions. That was his own problem to deal with, caused likely by his own actions. With his mother now focused back on her, she didn't need any more stress as President and the girlfriend of a human boy.

There was enough on her plate…

…for now.


End file.
